In the morning hours of Sunday 5th August 2021, Sierra Leone’s National Disaster Management Agency (NDMA) received distress calls from residents of No. 14 Kissy Road in Freetown notifying the Agency about the collapse of a building that was predominantly used as a store and for business purposes.
NDMA’s Director-General, Lit. Gen. (Rtd) Brima Sesay, the Director of Relief and Response, Sinneh Mansaray and the Director of Monitoring and Evaluation, Abu Bakarr Bangura in collaboration with the Sierra Leone Police were very swift in responding to the call.
They visited the said structure during the heavy downpour of rain and took a proper assessment of the structure that will inform the next steps.
An initial assessment indicated that only the top floor of the three-storey building collapsed and that the first floor is occupied by people doing business and the second was mainly used as a storage facility where business people around the vicinity store their goods.
The report further revealed that there was no loss of life and no injury sustained. It also occurred to the team that residents on the top floor envisaged the possibility of a collapse hence, nobody was sleeping in it which possibly averted casualties.
It was also disclosed that the structural collapse was due to major cracks the first floor had endured for years, possibly as a result of poor engineering work and the use of substandard materials.
While making his statement to the affected victims and the media, the DG sympathized with them for what he described as a ‘blessing in disguise’, saying it would have been a different story if people were on that floor when the collapse happened.
The DG warned neighbours around to be very vigilant and careful. “I’m admonishing neighbours to be aware of this vicinity and maintain a safe distance from the remnant of the collapsed structure that is now compromised. We have equally evacuated all residents doing business on this fragile and delicate structure. We have also informed the Ministry of Works and have agreed to visit the scene and do a thorough infrastructure assessment and advise on the next steps”.
The DG continued: “The Sierra Police has also sealed off the entire structure and vouched to provide 24 hours security until we get recommendations from the Ministry of Works on what to do next. From our initial assessment, we are hopeful that if the remnant of the structure were to collapse, it would collapse inward which reduces the risk of damaging properties around”, he concluded.
The National Disaster Management Agency would like to assure the public that people occupying the first and second floors of the structure will not be allowed access until the Ministry of Works concludes its findings and proffer recommendations.
The public is also assured of NDMA’s unwavering commitments in not only responding to disasters but put in place measures to eliminate or reduce the impacts and risks of hazards before an emergency or disaster occurs.
=FEATURE=
Selfishness and Greediness
By Saikujohn Barrie
The overthrow of the Guinean democratic leader turned dictator, Prof. Alpha Conde is a lesson many African leaders as well as ordinary citizens should learn from.
After suffering for many years for power, Alpha Conde came to power in a disputed election.
He served both first and second terms yet out of selfishness and greed, he changed the Constitution through a window dressing referendum and went for a third term as if he was the only capable individual to run his RPG party.
There was another election in 2020 when the opposition claimed to have won but being so selfish, Conde was announced as the victor as a result, many opposition supporters were killed, and many are still languishing in prison.
Conde’s selfishness does not stop there , he deployed his tribesmen in almost all the ministerial positions and also in strategic parastals in the country leaving other tribes to reel in pain as if they are not Guineans.
As his greed and selfishness reached to a point of no return, Conde’s government increased the price of fuel or petrol which resulted in the increase of the already high prices of goods and services in the country.
When Conde’s greed and selfishness reached the highest level, he however, increased his own salary but reduced the salaries of the security forces and civil servants in the country.
What a leader!
He was so blind and dumb when taking all these moves out of greed and selfishness that he forgot that there are other Guineans who are supposed to live and survive in the country.
This insatiable selfishness and greediness have led to his downfall and detention by the very forces through which he achieved all these greediness and selfishness..
Hope and pray that democracy prevails as for Code, let him go with his selfishness and greediness.
I rest my case.
Ahead of 28 December 28 P/Loko Music Fiesta
Bai Bureh Heritage Foundation Unveils 11 Musicians
The Port Loko City Music Fiesta is one among the Events that Forms part the Calendar for this year’s Bai Bureh Festival 2021. The Fiesta is a Collection of Youths who see Music as Career for Self-Empowerment in which the event aims at making a massive breakthrough in the Sierra Leone Entertainment Industry especially in the aspect of Promotion and Branding. After the releasing of the Professional Profile of every selected Artist on Social Media for the first ever Port Loko City Music Fiesta, the Bai Bureh Heritage Foundation deem it necessary to embarked on a day official Community Unveiling of the Selected Musicians as part of the Strategy to ensure value addition and to trigger the minds of the people about the December Bai Bureh Festival Celebration slated for the 27th- 31st in Port Loko City with five (5) different activities that will definitely Promote Socio-Economic Development Through Music, Sports & Culture.
The Official Community Unveiling that was earlier slated for Saturday the 4th September was shifted to Sunday the 5th September for circumstances of giving respect to the Port Loko Ventrans Football Club. However, the community unveiling was well attended with close to a thousand people from the surrounding villages and the central park to cheer their Musicians and to witness the unfolding of the program.
The football match scheduled to grace the functioning and sharing of the event ended peacefully with a defeat to the MC’s Union and Texters Association combined by the DJ’s Union. During the second half of game, the names of the Selected Musicians were official Presented by Cllr. Amb. Unisa Totti Fofanah, Executive Director for the Bai Bureh Heritage Foundation. Honouring the presence of Ibrahim Santigie Bangura- Chairman Port Loko District Council, he delivered the keynote address and further unveiled the Brand Advertisement Jerseys for this year’s Bai Bureh Festival.
Mr. Ferguson as the program M.C presents the selected Musicians one after the other for a slight live performance that sends a very big signal about new beginning for Port Loko music.
In this Publication, the Bai Bureh Heritage Foundation will utilize the opportunity to announce the names of the Selected Musicians. Amjatu Momoh- Lady Amjay, Idrissa Bangura- Daddy Safe, Amara Kamara- Kandeh Bureh, Lamin Hassan Bangura- B. Spark, Mohamed Conteh- Mr. Capable, Bashiru Yayah Kargbo- Prezo Bash, Abdul K. Gbla- King Attacker, Alhaji Yayah Bangura- A. Score, James Kemokoh Kargbo- James D.K, Saidu M. Kabia- S.M De Editor, Sulaiman Sheriff- Romasquo. The organizers of the event are strongly calling and appealing to Personalities and Institutions who share the value of Music to support the Port Loko City Music Fiesta 2021. Lastly we want to express our deepest appreciation to the DJ’S Union, MC’s Union, Texters Assasination, Victorious Innovation Enterprise, Style One Entertainment, Fonz Sound System and the Port Loko Artist Union for Supporting the Official Community Unveiling of the Port Loko City Music Fiesta selected Musicians 2021. To all the Personalities and Spectators that made way to the Central Park, we say thank you for been part of the journey to Promote and Rebrand Port Loko Music. Our Port Loko, Our Responsibility. God Bless.
